y'll agree with
the cocoa-nuts excellently, I have no doubt."

Peterkin, who was already dressed, took the oysters and opened them with
the edge of our axe, exclaiming, "Now, that's capital! There's nothing
I'm so fond of."

"Ah! that's lucky," remarked Jack. "I'll be able to keep you in good
order now, Master Peterkin. You know you can't dive any better than a
cat. So, sir, whenever you behave ill you shall have no oysters for
breakfast."

"I'm very glad that our prospect of breakfast is so good," said I, "for
I'm very hungry."

"Here, then, stop your mouth with that, Ralph," said Peterkin, holding a
large oyster to my lips. I opened my mouth and swallowed it in silence,
and really it was remarkably good.

We now set ourselves earnestly about our preparations for spending the
day. We had no difficulty with the fire this morning as our
burning-glass was an admirable one; and while we roasted a few oysters
and ate our cocoa-nuts, we held a long, animated conversation about our
plans for the future. What those plans were, and how we carried them
into effect, the reader shall see hereafter.

CHAPTER SIX.

AN EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR IN WHICH WE MAKE MANY VALUABLE AND
INTERESTING DISCOVERIES--WE GET A DREADFUL FRIGHT--THE BREAD-FRUIT
TREE--WONDERFUL PECULIARITY OF SOME OF THE FRUIT-TREES--SIGNS OF FORMER
INHABITANTS.

Our first care, after breakfast, was to place the few articles we
possessed in the crevice of a rock at the farther end of a small cave
which we discovered near our encampment. This cave, we hoped, might be
useful to us afterwards as a storehouse. Then we cut two large clubs
off a species of very hard tree which grew near at hand. One of these
was given to Peterkin, the other to me, and Jack armed himself with the
axe. We took these precautions because we purposed to make an excursion
to the top of the mountains of the interior, in order to obtain a better
view of our island. Of course we knew not what dangers might befall us
by the way, so thought it best to be prepared.

Having completed our arrangements and carefully extinguished our fire,
we sallied forth and walked a short distance along the sea-beach till we
came to the entrance of a valley, through which flowed the rivulet
before mentioned. Here we turned our backs on the sea and struck into
the interior.

The prospect that burst upon our view on entering the valley was truly
splendid. On either side of us there was a